Fire Near Savannah River, South Carolina, USA

A fire can be seen burning near Savannah River, South Carolina, in the upper right quadrant of this image. The fire may be part of a prescribed burning plan, a key aspect of wildfire prevention, that the U.S. Forest Service of Savannah River has decided to perform prescribed burns this winter.

The fire service fire managers carefully ensure adequate smoke dispersal, to limit the smoke’s impact, through guidelines established by the Forest Service and South Carolina Forestry Commission permit processes. Longleaf pine ecosystems – the predominant ecosystem on the Savannah River Site – historically have been maintained by frequent, low-intensity fires that burned every three to 10 years.